Monday, March 26, 2012

After about a month and a half of daily use, it's been holding up well. Better than expected, actually.
Keep in mind I have this thing packed to the brim with usually a very large and heavy textbook, a binder, my lunch, several other supplies in the front pockets, and even an android tablet every so often.

The more I use it, the more broken in it gets the better it is. The padded shoulder straps have been fantastic on keeping the support alongside with the multiple compression straps. I haven't had any back and shoulder pain, and as much as I walk around and take mass transportation it's managed to keep the stress off my feet.

The waterproof factor is just a bonus. I haven't had to really purchase additional MOLLE packs to go with this. I thought I was going to need to but right now this setup is sufficient.

So overall, I'm sticking with the original 3.5 star rating out of 5 for this product.

I use this mainly for: Everyday carry (EDC) school and work.
Location: Urban / City
Cost: $40 at a local army and navy store

I would imagine this pack would also be great for weekend trips, camping, and as a primary bug out bag.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Just posted a vid of the latest addition to our camping / prepping gear. It's the Sterno ActionStation Butane Stove.

I've been keeping an eye out for something like this for awhile now to use for picnics, camping, and for emergencies. As always, I had to reallly figure out if this was something we needed to add on the gear/supply list.

It had to be compact, easy to use, and durable among other things. It also had to be something we can use in other situations besides emergency (due to limited storage space).
We snagged this for right under $20. The butane canisters ended up being just a little bit over $5 for a pack of 5. Each canister is supposed to last about 2 hours in maximum heat and approximately 4 hours for minimum settings.

My first impressions

The pros:
It came with a hard plastic carrrying case.
It uses piezo ignition.
stainless steel - easy to clean and it looks good
adjustable settings
the price
light and easy to stash in a closet or carry around in the trunk of your car

The cons:
none found

I'm going to test it out and do a proper video review of it (keep an eye out for that).

It's a nice addition to any household and it doesn't take up a lot of space. Having this gives us more options for cooking or heating food during outdoor excursions.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

"In times of catastrophes some people find their humanity, while others lose theirs. What will you and your group do?"

MSU (Michigan State University) School of Social Work is offering a course elective taught by Glenn Stutzky called Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse: Catastrophes & Human Behavior.

Don't let the subject title fool you - the course explores the human condition among other key concepts. According to the description, the class is designed to "examine major catastrophic events from the past, look to potential future events, and consider a concept for increasing our chances of survival."

It even incorporates a catastrophic simulation (Coronal Mass Ejection Incident has caused a Zombie pandemic) during the beginning and end of the course which includes assigning the students into survival groups. They, in turn, are posed with a challenge to come up with solutions to surviving and coping with the aftermath.

Doomsday Book is a Korean sci-fi three-part anthology about the end of the world. A collaborative work between Kim J-Woon, Yim Pil-sung and Han Jae-rim.

One is titled "Heaven's Creation," about a robot who becomes sentient

The "New Generation," told from a POV of a boy zombie.
--this segment explores how humans lose control of planet Earth, becoming mere food for a different species.

"The Christmas Gift," an end of the world musical.--re-interprets the beautiful love story “The Christmas Gift” by O Henry, this project confronts the basic instincts of a woman and her last chance to survive after witnessing the end of the world.